Watching
by BEN-Beyond the Elusive Nomads
Summary: Buffy waits, and watches. Written for AU Bingo on LJ


**Title:** Watching  
**Prompt:**Future: post-apocalyptic  
**Medium:** Fic  
**Rating**: PG-13  
**Warnings:**Violence, Character Death(s)

**Summary:**Buffy waits, and watches.

She stopped changing a long time ago. It had gotten to the point where everything around her started to shift while she stood still. Willow suddenly had grey hairs and grandkids while Xander had diabetes. Dawn was married and had her own kids. Giles was gone now, leaving behind no family.

While this happened, Buffy stayed the same. Her heart kept beating steadily, her hair kept growing blonde, her back stayed strong. She was forever young, and she hated it.

Then came the time that the only person left was Dawn, frail and sickly with her grandkids gathered around her deathbed. They all loved Buffy, and they all treated her like family, but Buffy didn't really belong. She should have died years ago.

And then even they were gone – she was a legend, never seen by her family, but always there. She protected them all, gave them gifts, but they never met her face to face. Then the day came that Buffy had half expected, and half dreaded.

The Final Apocalypse.

The Powers had told her about it – this legendary apocalypse that would either destroy the world or make it better. They said that they would all stand by each others side one last time to fight before all but one returned to their graves.

Buffy already knew that she wouldn't be one to return to her grave. She was the One, left to roam the world full of Slayers that never quite met their full potential and died because of their incompetence. No other Slayer could even touch what she had – only Faith ever came close, but she'd never died. She didn't reach that final level of ascension.

She remembered the day they came back. Willow, Tara, Giles, Oz, Cordelia, Angel, Xander, Anya, Andrew, Dawn, and Spike. They had all died, and now they were revived by the Powers to fight this final battle. The battle that would either ensure the continuation of the world, or its end. It was a moment Buffy dreaded – either way she would loose.

The reunion was awkward, because Buffy wasn't the same. She hadn't really spoken in years, hadn't touched anyone, hadn't done anything other than fight the good fight. Only a handful of them understood that, and the handful was the ones she hadn't fully expected. Tara, Oz, Cordelia, Dawn, Anya, and Spike didn't expect her to jabber on about what had happened since they left. They just let her be.

The first week together had been hellish. Willow and Xander went on about Heaven and working under the PTB, asked how their families were. It took them a while to realize that Buffy hadn't kept in contact with them other than saving their lives and going to their funerals. They gave Buffy disappointed looks, and eventually stopped talking.

The ones that understood just sat with her, let her be. She enjoyed that. For the first time she felt like she was Home.

And then the apocalypse came, raving the earth and tearing families apart. The group fought, and Buffy always remained on top, keeping everyone safe without ever getting a scratch. She had lived so long that human restrictions didn't apply – she was fast, she was strong, she was One with the power within her.

They couldn't even think to touch her.

The only one close to her in strength was Spike, who fought by her side endlessly, never leaving and always helping. Her heart swelled with the love that had never really left her, and she knew when the time came it was his leaving that would kill her the most.

And as soon as the battle had started the battle was over. The White Hats stood victorious over the forces of evil, and the world was safe forever.

That was the only time Buffy spoke, to tell her friends she loved them. Then they disappeared one by one, until the only one left standing was Spike. He looked at her with an odd smile on his face that made Buffy frown.

"I'm not leaving, pet." He explained, sensing her curiosity, "Remember? All will return but the One? Tha's me."

At first Buffy didn't believe him, but when he didn't fade after a day she relaxed and allowed herself to fall back against him in bliss.

So Spike and Buffy became the Two, the ones ho watched together as the world changed around them and loved each other through it all.


End file.
